


A Dragon's Spirit

by Jeanvalvernairdienjoleponius



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Character Study, F/M, M/M, Maiko is complicated, Multi, Suki dies, canon compliant inasmuch as canon has given us
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:40:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21921571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jeanvalvernairdienjoleponius/pseuds/Jeanvalvernairdienjoleponius
Summary: Zuko learns how his feelings are supposed to feel.
Relationships: Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (Avatar), Past Relationships - Relationship, Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 19
Kudos: 141





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for minor character death: Suki is killed. Also grief, gaslighting, and dissociation.

“Maybe I should just go.”

“Maybe you should.”

They had been in somewhat of a standoff for days now. Mai, for reasons that should have been fairly obvious but eluded Zuko, refused to leave him despite being in love with someone else and no longer being in love with him. It puzzled him. Why was she so desperate to cling to something that was no longer there?

And why wasn’t he?

They had been in a relationship, finally, after what Azula had insisted was years of pining.

What _Azula_ had insisted.

How had he not noticed before that it was always Azula pushing them together?

Had he ever truly wanted to be in a relationship with Mai, or had he just wanted to make Azula happy? 

“Maybe I will.” Mai murmured, looking genuinely distressed for a moment before she collected herself. “Should I?”

As Firelord, he’d been forced to make countless decisions that he truly didn’t want to, but, of all of them, this was probably the most difficult. He didn’t want to be the person in charge of ending their relationship, because he felt that there was still something there, he just couldn’t quite put his thumb on what it was.

He couldn’t do anything but stare ahead, unable to find the words he needed.

“Alright. I… Zuko, just know that you… I still care about you. It’s just not the same as before. I thought that when everything was over, if everything was over, when Azula was gone, that we… I don’t know.” Mai turned away, walking into the distance.

Zuko could have called out to her, but he didn’t.

In that moment, all he felt was relief that she didn’t turn around.

And then, sooner than he’d expected, he felt nothing at all.

It was that way for years.

* * *

  
  


Everything had happened too fast for Zuko to stop them.

The New Ozai Society’s resurgence, or whatever they were calling themselves now, had turned their attention away from him after many long years with too many assassination attempts to count. Their goals had shifted when they realized they would never be strong enough benders to defeat him, and they began searching for ways to improve their own powers.

One of them had remembered the long-fabled idea of learning from the original firebenders, the dragons.

And somehow, miraculously, unfortunately, they’d managed to find the dragons. 

By the time Zuko had gotten there, it had been too late to stop all of them. He’d fought off the stragglers, those running away from the fight, but those in the heat of battle, well.

He didn’t need to stop them.

Someone else had been faster than him, had been more capable and careful, had paid more attention.

Zuko entered the clearing where he knew the dragons had visited him, and found himself face to face with Suki, taking on at least a dozen men, handling them as well as she could.

It was apparent that she’d taken down at least ten more before this.

And it was equally as apparent that she was unable to do this by herself. 

Zuko ran into the fray, taking out everyone he could, trying not to get himself killed in the process, trying to keep their flames away from Suki, and when the last man had fallen, he collapsed to his knees, exhausted. Suki was nowhere to be seen.

“Suki?” He called, with no answer. 

“Suki?” He tried again, scrambling to his feet and pushing through the piles of unconscious men strewn around the clearing. He found her resting under a large man’s body,an exhausted expression on her face, blood pooling from a knife wound in her side. 

It was clear that she had been stabbed while standing up and, following the trail of blood on the ground, that she’d managed to accomplish quite a lot while she was bleeding out. 

In the end, it had been too much for her. 

Zuko was not one to kill without a cause.

He was not one to make a scene.

He certainly was not one to aggravate the people who were actively trying to find ways to usurp his power, because he knew that they would only retaliate tenfold.

He also didn’t care.

Quietly, he crouched down beside her, picking up her body, still warm from the heat of the firebenders’ flames, still dripping with blood. He took her to a nearby ledge, leaping up to where their foes lay unconscious. 

He pondered them for a moment, before he remembered what they had been there for.

They had been there to kill the dragons, and that was an act that ensured they were owed no mercy.

To have their bodies engulfed in flames would mean a warrior’s death, but that was only if they were truly dead.

Suki, as far as Zuko was aware, wouldn’t have killed them.

Zuko didn’t care if they were dead or alive when he lit them on fire, and he left too quickly to find out.

He needed to get news of this to his friends.

* * *

Sokka had been the first to find out about Suki’s death. Zuko had delivered the news himself. 

He had not been ready for the reaction that it garnered.

Sokka, always the hothead, the emotional man, took this news, nodded his head, and just sat down. Instead of seeming emotional, instead of screaming at Zuko for letting her die, or throwing something, or crying, he just sat and stared at the ground. 

He seemed deeply exhausted.

“Is… is everything okay?” Zuko attempted.

“No, Zuko, obviously everything is _not_ okay.”

“Oh.” Zuko frowned. “I just thought you would—”

“React? Say something?” Sokka’s frown grew more pronounced and he laid down on his back. Zuko sat stiffly down next to him.

“Yes.”

“I… Tell me how it happened.” Sokka demanded.

“Are you sure you want to—”

“Tell me, Zuko. Tell me right now, or get out of the South Pole.”

Zuko took a sharp breath in, feeling the weight on his chest as he fought his way through the words. He couldn’t find the right thing to say.

“She was—it should have been me, Sokka. She, her, the Kyoshi warriors were helping to protect me, they have been, a couple years now they’ve been protecting me, and I, we, they, she… The dragons.”

“The dragons.”

“The group of p-people, the ones that want to kill me. Overthrow me. They wanted to kill the dragons and Suki, she was so brave. She went up against at least 30 men all by herself. I helped in the end but they had already gotten to her. It should have been me. They should have killed me. Suki didn’t deserve this.”

“No, Zuko, it shouldn’t have been you.” Sokka’s voice was quieter than Zuko had ever heard from him. 

“What?”

“You’re too important, Zuko. You’re the Firelord. You’re making changes. In the grand scheme of things, there can be another leader of the Kyoshi warriors. You are too important to die.”

Zuko scowled. “I am no more important than she was, and she was the woman you loved. You have every right to be mad at me.”

“Are you begging me to be mad at you? Asking me to be? Look, I am mad, of course I’m upset, I’m not going to show you because you don’t deserve it.”

“Deserve it?”

“Even if you were someone else who I knew better, even if you were Katara or Aang or even… Suki, I would _not_ show you how torn up I am. Nobody needs that. It’s not productive.” Sokka sat up, burying his face in his hands.

“I…” Zuko could not come up with an adequate objection to something like that. For so long he had been ignoring every emotion, to the point where he expected those around him to respond in ways that he could see as rational, reasonable responses. When Sokka, the most emotional person he knew, had reacted differently, Zuko had tried to force him to feel something else, which was absolutely not fair to him.

“You have a point, Sokka. I’ll let you grieve alone now.”

Sokka nodded his head slowly, and Zuko didn’t turn around to see how he looked as he left the room.

He had a funeral to plan.

* * *

“We are gathered here today to honor the life of a fallen warrior.” Zuko began, lifting his arms and feeling the ceremonial robe move with him.

“Suki, daughter of the Kyoshi islands, Warrior of Kyoshi, friend of the Avatar, lover of Sokka. The bravest soldier I have ever met. She fought countless battles for her cause, to protect the countries and the people that she loved. All who were on her side greatly benefited from her constant, unending aid. Her unshakeable fighting spirit and ability to persist through any issue continue to inspire even in her death. She will be revered for generations to come.”

Zuko hated the way he was feeling. He couldn’t put a name on it, though he rarely could. Some horrible mix of grief, shame, loneliness and loss coursed through his veins, amplifying with every word. He knew what was coming at the end of this ceremony and what he would have to do, how badly he needed to calm himself down before that, but until that time came he had to endure these feelings.

“Her bravery, her fierce loyalty, and her incredible skills in combat will be remembered for generations to come. She mixed a warrior’s determination with a best friend’s kindness and caring heart. Every man can only hope to be blessed with such a friend as her. Today we honor the life she led and all of her achievements.”

He took a deep breath, surveying the people in front of him. A massive crowd of faces, both familiar and unfamiliar, had gathered to the site of her funeral. Where in the past funerals held here at the Capitol had been for only those of the Firelord’s family, but this felt just as important to Zuko.

“Her actions in life were impressive, and her actions in death were just as impressive. Not only was she protecting me from those who wanted to assassinate me, she was also protecting the last pair of sacred dragons from their horrific attacks.”

He shut his eyes, wincing as tears threatened to fall. “What she did not know was that she also was protecting the first dragon born in many long years. I have been consulting with the dragons, and we both agree that the only way we could possibly honor Suki enough for what she’s done is to name this dragon after her. From now on, it will be known that Suki gave her life to help this life continue.”

Zuko felt the heat of tears running down his face as he spoke, keeping his voice clear. He wasn’t sure if the people in the crowd could see the tears, and he honestly didn’t know if he’d prefer if they did or didn’t.

“She… was the most honorable friend anyone could have asked for. Had it been me in her place, I would have been perfectly satisfied. She lived a far greater life than I. Truly, she brought pride to Kyoshi herself.”

Zuko swallowed, closing his eyes and letting out a large sigh. He moved his legs and moved closer to the ground, drawing a deep breath in and pointing up at the sky with one arm tucked in by his chest. He exhaled sharply, opening his eyes and feeling a surge of energy around him. The positive and the negative split in front of him, energy entering him through his outstretched arm and settling in his stomach, before he forced it out through his other arm. 

The lightning struck the funeral pyre of Suki, wreathing it in lustrous blue flame before it evened out to regular fire.

“Those who loved her knew her worth. Those who feared her knew her strength. Those who knew her were privileged to do so. Nobody will ever be able to be the person that Suki was. We all owe her. She will be remembered fondly.”

The ceremony was over. Zuko had assumed that finishing this would give him some sort of closure, but instead, it left him feeling emptier than ever. 

He was standing far from anyone else, alone on a platform, watching as everyone in front of him grieved, feeling the heat of his own flames starting to die out as the body of Suki disappeared. As the sun started to disappear in the dusky sky, Zuko heard the sound of something approaching. 

He looked up, finding all three dragons flying towards them. 

The two parents broke off from the child, flying in menacing circles around Zuko. The smaller one, though much more inexperienced, was clearly faster, and Zuko knew what he had to do. 

He took a deep breath in and performed a much faster version of the Dancing Dragon than the one he’d done with Aang. It was difficult to keep up with this young dragon, but Zuko knew it was what he had to do. After dancing through his arc, he stopped himself with his fists hovering inches away from the glistening scales of the baby dragon. The parents stopped their flight, turning their heads towards the funeral pyre and consuming it with their prismatic flames. 

When they had stopped, the pyre was entirely gone, and the young dragon stopped to rest in its place. Though none of the three said anything, Zuko could feel their respect for the woman who had given her life for them. They flew off without a single word. 

Zuko stepped down toward the crowd, wringing his hands and wiping the tears from his face in preparation for seeing the people there. As the list of people had not been too closely regulated, there was a chance there would be some people there wanting to end his life, and he needed to be prepared for it.

If someone had asked, he probably would have answered that he wanted something like that to happen, just so that he would have something to do to keep him busy.

He wondered if that was the truth. 

Perhaps this was just another way of him avoiding his feelings.

He caught a glimpse of Sokka from the front row of the onlookers, seeing him now letting himself cry and be upset. He was hugging Katara and being solaced by Aang.

It seemed too personal to interrupt.

The thought of how Sokka must feel made Zuko lose sense of where he was. Rather than being here, in this courtyard, having just danced with a dragon, he was once again 17 years old, trying to date Mai, and failing.

He was eight years old, being tormented by Azula.

He was floating away on the slightest breeze and was heavier than a thousand islands.

His world fractured into three, then the three visions turned back into one, and Zuko was only vaguely aware of his own body. 

“Are you okay?” Asked a voice from somewhere. Zuko felt a pressure on his body… somewhere.

“Zuko, are you okay?” The voice repeated, closer this time. 

“Zuko?” A third time. Zuko shook his head to clear his thoughts, finding himself back in his own body, a hand on his shoulder. 

Zuko turned to face whoever was talking and found himself face to face with a Kyoshi warrior. She seemed far more concerned than a normal warrior would have been, however. He cursed his eyesight and tilted his head. “Yes?”

“Are you okay?” She tried once more, and the voice finally clicked. Ty Lee.

“I’m… fine.”

She turned her head, frowning. “Are you sure? You look like you’re a thousand miles away.”

He sighed. “I mean, I just held a funeral for one of the only friends I ever had. And it feels like her death is my fault.”

Ty Lee rolled her eyes. “None of the other warriors blame you. Suki knew what she was getting into.”

“I should have helped her.”

“You did help her!” Ty Lee huffed, crossing her arms. “Your aura is all over the place.”

“That’s to be imagined.”

“Do you know how frustrating you can be, Zuko? Just let me help you.” 

“How do you plan on helping, Ty Lee?”

She shrugged, shaking her head. “I didn’t think you’d say yes, so I didn’t think of a plan. I could sit down and talk with you. I could… Show you some cool acrobatic tricks? I could… give you a bunch of meaningless compliments?”

Zuko chuckled softly. “Those all sound… fairly entertaining.”

Her face grew serious. “Did you love her?”

“Did… what?”

“Did you love her, Zuko?”

He tensed, his heart pounding. “Who is the her you’re talking about?”

“Up to you. Did you love Suki? Did you love Mai? Did you love Azula? Do you still love them?”

The breath was ripped from his lungs as he started to feel like he was floating again. “What is with the questions?”

“I want to know, Zuko. The only way to untangle the mess you have inside you is for you to face it head-on.”

Zuko laughed, puzzled. “What in the world is that supposed to mean?”

“Did you love them, Zuko? Do you still?”

“Stop! Please, stop.” He whimpered. “I don’t know. I have no idea.”

She crouched down towards the ground, flipping herself upside-down. “One at a time, then. How do you feel about Suki?”

Zuko crossed his arms. “I don’t see why this is necessary.”

“You’re gonna have to trust me on this one.”

“I… I thought she was a fantastic warrior and a wonderful friend. I’m going to miss her dearly and I feel like it’s my fault that she’s gone.”

“Do you love her?”

“Yes.”

“Mai. How do you feel about her?”

“I miss her. I want her to be around me.”

“Do you love her?”

“I don’t know. I think I do, I just don’t know if it’s the way she wants me to, really.”

“I don’t think so either, if I may say so myself.” Ty Lee smiled, turning herself upright. “Azula?”

“I think I always will, but I shouldn’t. Some part of me always goes back to wanting to make her happy, even though she’s gone, even though she’s insane, she will always be my sister.”

Ty Lee nodded her head. “You already seem more here in the real world. Not wherever you were before.”

Zuko took a deep breath, finding that Ty Lee was right. Though it had been excruciating to think about, her forcing the answers out of him had gotten the answers that he’d been looking for for days now.

“Are you going to be okay, Zuko? The only person blaming you for what happened is you.”

“I think I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“I think I need to talk to Uncle Iroh.”

Ty Lee grinned brightly. “I know you’ll be fine, then. Give me a hug?”

Zuko obliged.

* * *

  
  


“And how is my favorite nephew doing today?”

Zuko sighed. “I’m your only nephew.”

“No reason not for me to check in.” Iroh smiled, sitting Zuko down and starting a kettle for them.

“I… I held the funeral for one of my best friends today. I’m not good.”

Iroh regarded him sadly. “It is not easy to lose the ones we love. If you need to take time to yourself, I can understand. I am glad you came to see me, though.”

“Why?”

He sat down in front of Zuko. “Because you are one of the most important people to me, and I want to make sure you’re okay.”

Zuko touched the scar around his eye, finding that it stung as the tears welled in his eyes. “Thank you, Uncle Iroh. I don’t know where I’d be without you.”

Iroh shook his head. “You don’t need to think about things like that. It doesn’t matter where you would be without me, because here you are with me. You have grown so much from the scared, lonely boy you used to be. You are a very strong man now, and it pains me to see you hurting so much.”

Zuko rested his arms on the table, laying his head down on them. “Ty Lee made me think today.”

“Ty Lee?” Iroh let out a large laugh. “What did she make you think about?”

“She… well. I need your advice on something, uncle.”

“And what is that?”

Zuko took a shaky breath in. “What… exactly. Does love mean to you?”

Iroh thought about that, stroking his beard. “There are many different ways to love, my nephew. I may love tea, and I may love you, but those two feelings are different.”

“Do you love your brother?”

“My brother is an interesting person. We are family, and I love my family, but he is… he has done terrible things, Zuko, to the people I love most. He hurt you, he hurt his wife, he waged war against countless people… and I helped him. I was a different person back then. Somewhere, I am sure, I still love my brother for who he used to be. But you do not need to love your father.”

It comforted Zuko to know that Iroh, the man he trusted most in the world, felt just the same way about Ozai as he did about Azula. 

All the same, he still felt torn up about everything else.

“What does love mean to you, though?”

“It changes from person to person, I suppose. I have loved you for a long time even when you were horrible to me, because we were family and I saw how little love you got at home. You deserved it, so I gave it to you.”

“I apologize for my ac—”

“You do not need to. You were put in a situation that nobody should ever have to be in. It was not your fault.”

Zuko grit his teeth to try and stop himself from crying. “Thank you.”

“If there were a woman in my life, perhaps I would love her for her beauty. Perhaps I would rely on her kindness to bring me through every day. Perhaps she would be here to laugh at the jokes that I make.” Iroh smiled brightly. “Or maybe to drink my tea.”

Zuko watched him stand up to finish making the tea, pouring it gently into a cup that he put in front of Zuko, fixing it the way he knew he liked it. 

“Why do you ask such questions?” Iroh prompted after Zuko had tentatively sipped at his tea.

“It’s what Ty Lee was asking me about. She made me think about some things I haven’t thought about for a long time.”

“Ty Lee made you think about love?”

Zuko nodded his head. “Yes, she did.”

Iroh smiled. “That is wonderful! I am so glad you have people like that in your life.”

Zuko took another long sip of his tea. “Me too. My friends are wonderful.”

“You… You were all alone during the ceremony. You were in charge of planning. She was a great friend of yours, and you have not been given the proper time to truly grieve her because you still fear those who want to end your reign.”

“You are correct.”

“So how are you feeling, my nephew?”

“...Have you ever wondered what it would have been like if you hadn’t been a part of this family?”

“Often. But it is not right to dwell on things that could never happen. It is not fair to you.”

Zuko frowned. “I wish I could be sad about my friend without knowing that my emotions will make me seem weak.”

“Emotions do not make you weak, Zuko.”

“I know that, but not everyone does! If I were to cry in public, the men who insist I’m a weak ruler will come back and try to kill me again! It’s not fair to me.”

Iroh rested a hand on his shoulder softly, leaning forward so their foreheads were connected. 

“No, it is not. You should be able to live a life where you feel what you do with no shame. But that is not the path that you chose for yourself. You were selfless enough to take this burden, and now it is hurting you, and I will do anything in my power to help you. I think it starts with talking about how you feel, my nephew. Tell me what is wrong. Tell me everything.”

Zuko brushed Iroh’s hand off his shoulder, sitting all the way down in his chair with his back straight. “During the time when I was still living in the palace, trying to make my father proud, I tried to be perfect. I felt that it was the only thing I could do. And it hurt me. I didn’t let myself feel anything. Everything came back to haunt me when I was banished. I hated everything. And then when I joined up with Aang, I was so focused on our plans that I didn’t do much feeling. And _then_ after that everyone was trying to assassinate me. And now, now that I finally have time to myself, now that things had finally calmed down, Suki died, and I can’t let myself feel anything about it because the rebels are back in action.”

Iroh let out a long, sad sigh, drinking the last of his tea. “You are always free to weep in private. To mourn the loss of your friends in the comfort of familiar halls and your own bed. But you do not have to be alone.”

Zuko narrowed his eyes. “What?”

“You do not have to be alone to not be public. I know it does not seem like it, but you are free to have your friends with you at any time. I know that they, too, are mourning the loss of their friend. I know that it will hurt to be with them when they are so sad. But you need them, Zuko.”

Zuko thought back to how Sokka had acted when he first heard about her death. He’d said that he wanted to be alone and in private. 

Maybe that wasn’t the right way for Sokka to deal with this.

Maybe Sokka needed his friends as much as Zuko needed them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!! I promise we'll get to the shippy stuff soon, I'm working on that part. I was rewatching ATLA for the first time and was just struck by feelings, y'know? I went on a deep dive into the lore and I needed to do something about it. Next part should be up in a few days.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko tries to make up for lost time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Grief Lite™️, not nearly as bad as the last time. I have a real fondness for dads, as you can probably tell.

Zuko had heard of people, in the grief of a break-up, finding a rebound person to fill the hole in their life that the ex had played.

He wasn’t sure if it had ever been like this, though.

He was not grieving a break-up, he was grieving the death of his friend.

And this was not a rebound, it was trying again.

It hadn’t worked, of course. He and Mai had failed multiple times in the past, so what was this one more? The only difference this time was that it left him with a beautiful baby girl that he had to take care of.

The girl was a pleasure. Her mother loved her, clearly, but wanted her to become the Firelord and so left her to the care of her father. 

It was quite possibly the kindest thing that Mai had ever done for him. 

He knew now that he wasn’t in love with her. He wanted to be around her, sure, but he learned that what he wanted from her was friendship, and that was something that could be provided. 

It was his responsibility to raise the child, and he was incredibly grateful for the opportunity.

Zuko just wished that he were better at raising children. 

He needed someone to talk to about this, and, with the news of the birth of Bumi, he figured the Southern Water Tribe was the place to go.

* * *

It never failed to astonish Zuko just how much the Southern Water Tribe had changed since the first time Zuko had attacked them.

Where sparse igloos used to stand were now massive buildings, roads, venders, benders, and communities. Despite a couple hiccups along the way, it seemed they had truly been able to modernize their society while still keeping the community aspect that was so vital to their way of life. Communities of igloos lay outside the boundaries of the capital city, the food that Sokka so dearly adored was being sold on every corner, stories and laughter bounced across the air no matter where you turned.

It was a beautiful place.

It was also freezing. 

As a firebender, Zuko was completely used to being able to warm himself when cold, but this was different. If he used his bending, there was a chance he’d melt through the ice, falling right into the waters below. If not the ice under his feet, he could melt through a building, something that was really not a kind thing to do. 

He needed to find the people he was looking for, and fast.

Fortunately, he wasn’t exactly the type of person who could go somewhere unnoticed. 

“Firelord Zuko!” Someone announced, thus ending his career in stealth.

“Firelord Zuko!” Several people echoed, clearing a path for him. He smiled and tried to wave as happily as possible, but it was clear that he was exhausted. 

The baby in his arms cooed softly, grabbing at her foot and attempting to eat the boot on it.

“Where are the children of Chief Hakoda?” He called out.

“Resting in their house!” Someone responded. Zuko nodded his head and took off in what he desperately hoped was the right direction.

He’d been there before, and he was the Firelord. He shouldn’t have to ask for directions. 

But he was so exhausted.

After several minutes of walking, agonizing about whether or not he’d be able to find the place he needed, he chanced upon the place he was looking for. 

“Hello? Zuko here!” Zuko called, not wanting to push past the furs draped over the entryway. 

“Zuko?” Katara responded, clearly happy to hear his voice. “Come in!”

Zuko smiled, walking into the room and being immediately greeted by the sight of Katara sitting in a chair, holding a baby who was actively trying to crawl out of her arms. Sokka was sprawled out on a bed, arm resting in the air next to the bed. His snores provided an auditory background to the room.

“Don’t wake up Izumi, okay?” Zuko requested.

“Oh!” Katara grinned. “Sorry.”

“Is everything alright with you and Bumi?” Zuko asked.

“He’s a lot to handle, but he’s a real sweetheart. Aang’s been here a lot more often now that he’s born, which is wonderful.”

“Is he here right now?” Zuko prompted.

“Ah, no. He was here a few weeks ago, and he might be here in a few months, but he can’t visit nearly as often as he wants to.”

“What a pity. I wish I could have seen him with you.”

Katara frowned. “I know. The last time you saw us was probably… Actually, I don’t even know if you talked to him after you… after you danced with the dragons again.”

“You can say it.”

“When you held the funeral for Suki.”

“I… I’m not sure if I saw him that day, to be honest. I barely remember anything from that day.”

Katara tensed. “You don’t? I remember everything.”

“No.” Zuko frowned, rubbing his temples. “I remember the dragons. And I remember… being emotional. I don’t really remember anything else. It’s like when I was living with my father. I can remember a little bit of being a child, but from when I was maybe eight to when I was banished? I can barely remember anything. It’s almost as if those years never happened. People tell me stories about what I did and I vaguely remember them, but it’s like I was dreaming for five years. Like I was in a trance. I don’t know who’s lying and who’s telling the truth.”

“I can help you with that, if you want. Remembering, I mean.”

“Remembering my best friend’s funeral? No, thank you.”

“She was your best friend?” Katara whimpered.

“She… she was… I don’t know. You guys were my best friends for a while… my only friends. But with Suki being the only one who lived so close to me, the one who would check in on me every day, I think she might have been my best friend. And now she’s gone.”

Katara nodded her understanding. “It’s a terrible situation you’re in, Zuko. I wish there was something I could do for you.”

“There is something.”

“What is it?”

“I have no idea how to take care of Izumi the way she deserves. My father wasn’t even a quarter of the man I consider myself to be, but I have a long way to go still, and I don’t want to mess it up.”

“I don’t know all that much myself about raising a child as a single parent, because all the parenting we do in the village is in groups, but I’ll see what I can do.” 

Zuko looked down at the beautiful baby girl in his arms. She was sleeping peacefully, surely enjoying the warmth he could provide against the harsh cold outside. 

“Tell me about her.”

“She’s wonderful. The best thing that’s ever happened to me. She’s so much more well-behaved than I was expecting, but that may be because she seems so tired all the time. She’s very… there’s a word, but it’s escaping me. Lethargic?”

“Is she healthy?” 

“I think so.” Zuko rubbed his chin. “I-I don’t know much about children. I take care of her as best I can but she needs… someone better than me, I think. I’m pretty hopeless when it comes to kids.”

Katara leaned forward, gently resting the tip of her mitten on his shoulder. “For what it’s worth, you’ve come a long way. You’re going to be a great parent, I just know it. Now, if you want to have someone else take care of Izumi for a while, why don’t you leave her with me? We can get acquainted, and,” she gently kicked her brother’s hand, laughing when he groaned and turned to face the opposite direction, “you can spend some time with Sokka. He’s dying to get out of the house.”

“Sounds fun.”

“Oh, it will be.” Katara smiled, reaching out her free arm. Zuko nervously handed over Izumi, gently resting her down in Katara’s arm, trying not to wake her. “Now go! I’m sure Sokka needs it just as much as you do.”

Zuko smiled.

* * *

“So where are we going, exactly? Somewhere warm, I hope.”

Sokka laughed. “Surely you as the Firelord are tired of warm places?”

Zuko shook his head, trying to fight off the cold creeping into his limbs without setting his clothes on fire. He'd been given a coat, but he was still freezing. His hands were shoved into his pockets, but they provided very little respite in the harsh cold. “And that’s where you’re wrong. I’m freezing.”

Sokka rubbed the back of his neck, seeming embarrassed. “In that case, you’re probably not gonna like where we’re going. I was working under the assumption that this was a sort of winter getaway thing.”

Zuko eyed him curiously. “You know, typically, a winter getaway is going from somewhere cold to somewhere w—”

“Hey, shut up. You’re getting  _ away _ to  _ winter _ . It’s a winter getaway.”

Zuko was about to point out that it was actually still spring and didn’t quite matter where he went because even in the Southern Water Tribe it would just be fall, but he felt it was something worth dropping. 

“But where are we going, Sokka?”

“You’ll see! We’re almost there.” 

Zuko rolled his eyes, following obediently behind him and looking down at the footsteps in the snow.

It was rare that he was able to experience snow. In the Fire Nation, it tended not to stay for long. He could distinctly remember once that it snowed when he was a child, and every other time had been when he was traveling either to the Southern Water Tribe or with Aang and his friends.

The impressions left in the snow absolutely fascinated Zuko. It was clear that Sokka’s shoes were meant to have good traction in the ice, whereas Zuko’s were making it incredibly difficult for him to get a grip. Sure, they were well designed for if he were to be doing firebending in this environment, but if he just wanted to walk and he happened upon a patch of ice, he would be on his back in no time.

Surely a rather large embarrassment for the Firelord.

He also considered the ends of his shoes. How was anyone with such pointed shoes supposed to be able to function well in such a—

“We’re here.” Sokka announced proudly, setting down a bag whose contents were a mystery to Zuko.

“Where exactly is ‘here’?” Zuko asked, glancing around for signs of anything they may have come here for.

“Here, is one of my favorite places to be. Nobody ever goes here, it’s Sokka’s place. This is where I have me time, to myself, away from exhausted sisters and screaming babies and visiting avatars.”

Zuko smiled at the thought of being able to be alone for once. Everywhere in his palace, he was surrounded by attendants at all times. “Why here specifically, though?”

Sokka smirked. “You’ll see in a few minutes, but the view is spectacular. Wonderful place to clear your head.” He set a downy blanket on the ground, patting it before plopping down, “Now, sit.” He fumbled in the bag to produce a few food items, which he pondered for a second before putting them back.

Zuko followed the order obediently, sitting down on the shockingly soft blanket right where Sokka had had his hand moments ago. 

“So, what’s up?” Sokka sighed as he sat down. “I don’t think you were just visiting to drop your daughter off with my sister. Surely you wanted to reconnect with your old pal Sokka. Make sure I’m not too lonely down here.”

The word ‘lonely’ struck Zuko in more ways than one. “I… Yes, I guess that’s also true. I wanted someone to help me take care of my daughter, but also, I missed you.”

“You did?” Sokka sounded taken aback for a second, before he shook his head and shrugged, eyes closed. “I mean, of course you did.”

“I’ve been spending so much time with Aang trying to make the United Republic of Nations and it just always feels like something is missing. Aang and I are friends, but… we get so professional when it comes to things like this. He’s not Aang, my close friend, he’s Avatar Aang, leader of the Air Nomads and my co-counsel. And I’m not Zuko, his friend, I’m Firelord Zuko, leader of the Fire Nation and his co-counsel. With you there, maybe things would be more fun.”

Sokka smiled. “Are you asking me to go to your big important city and crack jokes? Because I can do that if you want me to, but I want you to know that I’m not some piece of meat that you can just order around like that.”

Zuko smiled faintly. “Yeah. I think I would like that.”

“Me being a piece of meat?”

“You coming to the city with me. See the sights, walk the streets, crack jokes with Aang and I.”

Sokka sighed wistfully. “That sounds great, actually. I’ve been needing to go somewhere since Suki’s funeral that wasn’t… you know. The Fire Nation. No offense.”

“None taken. I hate being in the same place where we held her funeral. It’s the worst.” Zuko frowned.

“I didn’t realize you were still so beat up about it.” Sokka explained quietly.

“Well, I am. How are you holding up?”

Sokka shrugged. “Things are bad but life goes on.”

Zuko stared at the blanket under him, trying to parse his thoughts into something meaningful. 

“I… loved her. I think. Not the way that you did, but she was my best friend. And I miss her every day.” Zuko sighed.

“I didn’t know that you two were that close.” Sokka explained. 

“I didn’t either. Now that she’s gone, though, I don’t know what to do with myself. I’ll hear a fun story and I’ll make a note to myself that I should tell Suki later, or I’ll want to spar with someone and she won’t be there, or I’ll be stressed and want to sit down with someone but I only want to sit with her.” 

“Wow.” Sokka murmured. “I, uh, yeah. I didn’t spend that much time with her but what I did get to spend with her was wonderful. She was so, just, vibrant and, like, fun. Quite the person to lose if you depend on her for having fun, yeah. I can imagine how boring things must be for you now.” 

Zuko laughed, saddened. “Things are  _ so  _ boring. I need someone like you to add flavor to my life. I mean, I have Izumi, but she can’t exactly hold a conversation.”

“Good to know I have this in my set of skills. 1: holds conversation better than a baby does. 2: that’s it.”

“I think you’re better at more than that, Sokka.” Zuko’s voice was softer than he’d been expecting.

“You’re right, I can sword fight.” Sokka laughed.

“No.” Zuko looked him in the eyes. “You can do so much more than that. You’re a natural leader, you have such wonderful people skills, you know how to bring people together, you have healthy relationships with your family and you can let yourself love people. You’re good at so much.” He paused. “And you’re great with a sword, you’re right.”

Sokka put his hand on top of Zuko’s, bringing it close to him. “That means so much to me.” He explained, not breaking eye contact. Zuko felt something swell in him and he tensed as he realized what was coming. The air around him seemed to split and he quickly dropped Sokka’s hand as the energy in his stomach churned. He threw his hand into the air, pointing up at the sky and hearing a cracking sound as lightning left his body. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry, I should’ve asked. I didn’t know that lightning would come out of you if I touched you, I am so sorry.” 

“It doesn’t usually work out like that. I think I might just be on edge from talking about Suki.” He explained.

He wasn’t really lying. He was on edge from talking about Suki, but probably not for the reason that Sokka was thinking. Thinking about Suki put him on edge because he realized that maybe, just maybe, he was closer to Sokka than he’d originally thought. He wanted Sokka to fill the void that Suki had left with him, but he wanted it to be different from being best friends.

He had no clue what Suki would think of that.

“Either way, look.” Sokka ordered, gently pushing Zuko’s chin with a gloved hand. He pointed at the sky in front of him, and Zuko’s breath was taken away. The view in front of him was stunning—a sky full of changing colors as the sun went down. He could distinctly see each color of the rainbow as bright red slowly dissolved into a deep purple, with every shade between. 

“It’s beautiful.”

“It’s why I like coming out here.” Sokka explained. “It’s very calm, very quiet, and very pretty. I like to lay down on my back and watch the stars peek out. And I love the moon.” 

“Do you know the names of the stars?”

“I used to. My dad taught me all the names of all the constellations out there, the names of the stars, which one was the brightest, the myths behind each of them. Everything. From the Great Polar Bear Dog in the north we can always tell where we’re going, so the Southern Water Tribe was almost better at navigating during the night than they were in the day. And because waterbending gets stronger under the moon, we would sometimes send exploring expeditions out at night instead of during the day. It was always so much colder, but it was so thrilling.”

“Sounds dangerous.”

“Oh, it is. But if you have waterbenders, it’s really easy to help people if they fall into ditches. Less easy to fight off predators, but we’re the Southern Water Tribe. It’s what we do.” Sokka smiled, laying down on the blanket and raising his hand up to look in the sky, where already the light from the sun was starting to fade as the stars grew brighter.

There was silence as Sokka seemed to measure the distance between two stars with his hands, Zuko sat, watching his face for a moment before laying down next to him, looking up at the evening sky.

“I thought maybe, some day, I would have children with her. If I had kids with anyone, it would be her. But the time for that has come and gone, and now I just have to try and take care of Katara’s kids. I can teach them everything I know, I can show them what I’ve learned, I can explain what it was that my dad explained to me, I can teach them about the stars. But they’re not mine. It’s not the same.” 

Zuko tensed, turning to face him before he could stop himself. “You could teach Izumi.”

Sokka turned, resting on his right arm. “But she’s from the Fire Nation.”

“That doesn’t matter. I say, if her dad has friends from everywhere, then she might as well learn about their history and their traditions too. You’d be a fantastic mentor to her.”

“You want me to teach your kid what my dad taught me?”

Zuko nodded his head as best he could while he was laying on his side. “I would love that. I’m not proud of the things my father taught me. I don’t want to spread most of it to my daughter. I want her to have a father she can be proud of without being afraid of.”

“Are you talking about me or you?” 

“I’m…” Zuko sighed, flopping back down onto his back and gently resting his folded hands on his stomach. “I don’t know.”

“Oh.” Sokka explained, mirroring Zuko.

“Tell…” Zuko broke off, unsure of how to finish that sentence. He left it unfinished for several minutes as he waited for the right words to come to him, but they never did. “Tell me about the stars.” 

“Some people think that the stars are our ancestors watching over us. People we’ve loved, people who’ve loved us. Some think it’s just the great warriors of past who are up there, benders who’ve improved the craft, non-benders who fought bravely by their sides. There are stories of entire families who live up there together, of inseparable lovers who couldn’t be taken apart even in death, fearsome beasts who protected the lands for us. The stories I could tell would last forever, but I’ll tell them if you want me to.” 

“You have to keep at least some of the stories for Izumi.” Zuko smiled. “But, before you get started, I want you to tell me about love. I don’t know how it works. I’m trying to figure it out right now.”

“I loved Suki.” The answer was immediate. “I still do. And Princess Yue. They both changed me for the better. Suki didn’t put up with anything I tried to give her, I used to be so mean to girls back then and she showed me that I wasn’t stronger than her just because I was a boy. It sounds so stupid to think about it now, I’ve changed so much since then, but she did that. It’s because of her. She sparred with me and I lost miserably every time. I literally can't believe I ever thought I would win.”

“If anyone understands being ashamed of who they used to be, it’s me, trust me.”

“Forgot about that small little detail of you trying to kill us all those times.” Sokka laughed.

“I am so unbelievably sorry—”

“Chill. It’s fine. Anyway, Yue I met after Suki and I thought she was really pretty and she gave me the time of day and laughed at my jokes and thought I was charming. She helped me start to respect myself. Gave me the tools I needed to see myself as a capable person. After she died I met Suki again and tried to protect her because I was so scared that what happened to Yue would happen again, but she would always assure me she could take care of herself. And now,” Sokka’s voice broke, “now I’m, here.” 

Zuko offered his hand to Sokka, and Sokka took it. The warmth shared between them was pleasant. Zuko could feel himself getting warmer, and he wondered if Sokka could feel it. 

“So I guess I loved them because they respected me more than I respected myself? And they helped me to be better than I was before. It was mutually beneficial. Don’t get me wrong, I liked them because they were pretty. I liked spending time with Suki because she was so interesting, and I liked sparring with her because she was so much stronger than me. But I loved them because they loved me. They helped me.”

Zuko swallowed hard. Sokka had respected him as a fighter. Of all the friends in the group, he didn’t think it was Sokka that had changed him the most, but it was most certainly Sokka trusting him that helped him to change. Without a doubt he had been a different person after Boiling Rock than he had been before. Had he been paying more attention, he would have noticed that the feelings he’d felt for Sokka back then had been stronger than anything he’d ever felt for Mai, but it had been so easy with her, and it was what they had been expecting to do for so many years.

Now that he had the chance, now that the choice was his, he just had to see if he was brave enough to make it.

“In that case, if that is what love is, I think I might love someone. I’m certainly at least thinking of courting someone, or trying to. Mai didn’t work out, and it would be great to have someone in my life again.” 

“Who’s the lucky lady?” Sokka asked.

“This person doesn’t know they’re being courted yet, I don’t think.”

“Oh, a secret romance. Thrilling. You’re gonna have to keep me posted on how that goes.” Sokka chuckled. “For me. For old times’ sake.”

Zuko nodded his head, laughing humorlessly at the ridiculousness of the situation.

Maybe someday Sokka would catch on, but that probably wouldn’t be tonight. 

The conversation drifted between various other things, with Sokka telling him a few of his favorite myths connected to the constellations, leaving so much more unexplained. The more he talked, the more excited Sokka grew, and the more Zuko wanted to hear. He grew more and more theatrical and animated, stars gleaming in his eyes as he explained the great battles and wonderful stories behind them. They were out for much longer than Zuko had been expecting, and as the full moon slowly crawled across the sky Zuko tried not to think about whether or not he had failed in trying to figure out what love meant, and whether or not he had failed in trying to get Sokka to see him the way he wanted.

He just wanted to be in the moment with such beautiful sights in front of him.

Eventually, when Sokka had started to snore in the middle of a sentence and Zuko realized that their food had gone entirely uneaten, he realized it was probably time for them to head back to the house.

He nudged Sokka awake, moving him off of the blanket so he could fold it while Sokka ate their now very cold dinner. He noted that it had gotten quite wet over the course of the night, but only under where he’d been laying. Sokka’s side was normal. 

If he had to blame anything, he’d guess that it was firebending showing his emotions a little too strongly once again.

He hoped Katara wouldn’t be angry.

He smiled as Sokka rested his arm around Zuko’s shoulders, leaning up against him as he tried to both walk and not fall asleep at the same time. 

They walked for several minutes, with Sokka seeming to grow more awake and alert with each step, eventually being conscious enough to actively guide them back in the correct direction, even explaining how to navigate using the stars. As the house came into view, Sokka came to an abrupt stop.

“Who is it?” He asked.

“Excuse me?”

“Who is it that you’re courting? I want to be able to cheer you on from the sidelines.”

“I… I don’t think I should say, in case it goes poorly.”

“Oh. Right.” Sokka rubbed the back of his neck. “Um, in that case. I think it’s worth mentioning. That I think I might like you, just a little bit. And it’s nothing, and I don’t want it to change anything, but. I couldn’t let it, I didn’t want to um, I just thought I should say. That’s it. I realized tonight and I was like ‘oh, Zuko should know.’ But, uh, not Katara, in case it would make things weird. Yeah. Goodnight.” Sokka started to walk off.

Zuko grabbed him by the wrist, setting down everything he’d had in his hands to bring Sokka close to him.

“That works out well for me, then. Because it’s you. I think it’s been you for a while now.” 

Sokka put a gloved hand on either side of Zuko’s face, pulling him into a kiss like he’d seen him do so many times with Suki.

The moon glowed overhead, the stars gleamed, and the world could not have been a more perfect place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What if we kissed 😳😳 under the ghosts of my two dead girlfriends 👻🌌 😳😳😳
> 
> Haha, just kidding.
> 
> ....unless?
> 
> Thanks for reading. Part 3 to come whenever it happens, yknow. I won't abandon this story but I can't guarantee when it'll happen because I am working on like four other things right now. Hope you enjoyed this!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko and Sokka do their best at being a family together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dad Time Dad Time Dad Time

Marriage would have been too political.

It was what they had both agreed on.

Though it would have been nice to get married, both Sokka and Zuko were highly ranked within their people, and it would have been a political action instead of something they’d done out of love. 

That didn’t stop them from spending considerable amounts of time together.

Usually it was Sokka sitting in on meetings with counsels, diffusing situations and generally supporting Zuko whenever he needed it, though he did step in and say something whenever he disagreed. It was annoying sometimes, but in the end quite useful. 

Nobody ever tried to say that Sokka did not belong at the meetings, because it would have been a bad move politically, an act of aggression against the Southern Water Tribe.

When Zuko visited the Southern Water Tribe, nobody would dare say no to his face.

It was very nice. 

“Izumi, what’s that one?” Sokka asked, pointing up in the sky.

“That’s the moon, dad.” Izumi giggled, hiding her face in Sokka’s shoulder. 

“And what’s the moon’s name?”

“Princess Yue!” Izumi explained, clinging tight to her dad.

They were standing in the middle of a beautiful garden, in the grounds of the palace that for so long had been foreign to Zuko. The lavish rooms and long, empty hallways had held no beauty for him in the past, but he was learning to love them through watching these people he cared for so dearly explore them with him. A hallway wasn’t half bad when Izumi was running towards him at the end of it, arms open to signal him to hug her. The portraits on the wall weren’t all terrible when Sokka made a different sarcastic remark about Zuko’s appearance every time they passed them. 

Sokka had started to make himself at home here, bringing trinkets from his home to decorate the room, giving a lovely splash of blue and white to contrast with the harsh reds and blacks of everything else. It was funny how well the Blue Spirit’s mask would have matched with those items. 

Along with decor had come food, things that had to be able to survive not only a trip across the sea but also whatever long days they had together where Sokka wouldn’t be able to eat that much. So, naturally, that meant seal jerky, and more of it than Zuko would have ever thought possible for any one man to eat.

But, of course, Sokka had proved him wrong. Not only had he done that, but he’d also gotten Zuko to enjoy the taste of seal jerky, something he hadn’t quite been expecting. 

The new city was coming along well. Now that Sokka was there, and Toph dropped in sometimes, they had representatives from all the nations with the ability to talk about the cultures of their nations of origin, and how they could clash. They were slowly working together to do small things, like mix various traditional dishes from each country in a way that they were both distinctly recognizable while also becoming something new entirely. 

Technology was advancing in the fire nation, hugely in part to Sokka, though he never gave himself enough credit for it. He always considered himself to be a somewhat stupid sidekick to anyone around him, when in reality he was a brilliant inventor. Though his design skills could use work, his ideas were numerous and more often then not were put to the test. Some succeeded and some failed, but the ones that were successful were wonderful assets to the nation as a whole.

The most important change, however, had to be Sokka. The difference between spending lonely days traveling from meeting to meeting with no sense of fulfilment, living for a duty he had to fill for his people, and what he had now with going to meetings with a smile on his face next to the man he adored was staggering. He’d never thought life could be so fun. He’d never known that being in a relationship with someone could feel so good. 

At every opportunity presented, Uncle Iroh took the chance to thank Sokka for being so good to him. Sokka had turned him from a sad, dissatisfied young man who longed for any sort of change, to a vibrant, happy adult with a family that he loved above everything else.

“Let’s sit down, okay, sweetie?” Sokka asked for the benefit of Izumi, who nodded. Zuko sat down with them, laying on the soft grass as he stared up at the sky.

“Tell me about the stars.” Zuko requested.

“A new one or an old one?” 

“New one!” Izumi answered, wriggling out of her dad’s grasp to toddle her way over to Zuko, laying down on his stomach as he laughed. He hugged her to him.

“New one, let’s see.” Sokka laid down next to Zuko. “Hmm, a new one. Okay. So you see that bright star in the middle of the sky? What’s that one?”

“That’s the north star, dad.” Izumi responded, not looking.

“Look at the sky, baby.” Sokka gently patted Izumi’s side, prompting her to lay down on her back, still on top of Zuko.

“I see it.” She stated.

“Now look up and to the left, that way, over there, past that constellation, what’s that one?”

“The… seal?” She attempted.

“That’s right, the crab.” Sokka laughed. “Past the crab, past the moon, up and up until we get right about there. There’s a group of stars there but there’s a triangle in the middle. Can you see it?”

“I don’t think.”

“So do you see the cloud that’s moving real fast right past the moon?”

“Yeah.”

“Up and to the left—your other left, sweetie—and there’s a triangle. Those are the characters in our story.” 

Zuko led Izumi’s arm to be pointing in the general direction of the cluster of stars he assumed Sokka was talking about. “What are their names?”

“Well, that doesn’t matter as much as who they are. So, in the Southern Water Tribe, everyone knows everyone, but one day this mysterious woman shows up to the tribe. The people didn’t know what to do with her! She wasn’t not from one of our families, and she had a child with no father, but she was an artist. She could create beautiful blankets from animal pelts, she could hunt for herself, she was the envy of all the men in the town because she would never let them in to see her. But one day, a bird started to visit her.” 

“What bird?” Izumi asked, flopping onto her stomach and looking Zuko in the eyes.

“An otter penguin from the nearby ocean. It was a curious bird and it never was mad at her for being unexpected, and it would listen to her every day as she talked about how much she just wanted to protect her daughter. She told it secrets that she never told anyone else, like how she had run away from her home to protect her child, and how she would do anything to keep her safe because she was being followed.”

“Now, hold on a second. Did you already know this one, or are you making it up?” Zuko smiled.

“I actually did know this one already, thank you very much. Can I keep going?”

“Absolutely, yes.” Zuko nodded his head, absentmindedly rubbing Izumi’s back in a soothing motion. She was probably getting pretty tired.

“So, months after she starts being visited by this bird, he knows her pretty well. He cares about her a lot. One day when he goes to see where she is, he finds her standing in front of a phantom. The phantom is mad at her because he blames her for him dying, and he blames her for not loving him, and he blames her for not being buried properly so he has to walk the earth forever.”

“What’s he do?” Izumi asked, wriggling around in nervous excitement.

“He wants to take her soul. But he can’t. Every time he tries to hurt the woman, the bird moves in front of her. Every time he tries to hurt the bird, the woman stands in front of him.”

“So they stuck?” Izumi pondered.

“Yes. That’s why they’re in a triangle together. The phantom won’t leave until he gets what he wants, and the other two won’t leave him alone, so this fight continued long after they both had turned into spirits. They keep up their quarrel in the night sky.”

“I like that.” She smiled, yawning.

“You like that story?” Zuko laughed.

“Yeah. Is a good story.”

“You hear, that, Sokka? She thinks it was a good story.”

“And what do you think?”

“I think it’s bed time for Izumi.”

“I think you’re right.” Sokka stood, brushing himself off, reaching for Izumi to be put into his arms. 

It was so nice to have him be here to take care of her. It was nice to have him be here in general. Everything was brighter with him around. He handed over their daughter, watching Suko hold her and spin her in a circle, kissing the crown of her hair. 

Zuko followed close behind him with a smile, not wanting to break the silence between the two of them until Izumi was peacefully asleep.

It would have been so easy to have servants take care of every aspect of her life, but Zuko did not want to be a distant father, and Sokka couldn’t have been far away from her if he tried. They were drawn to one another like magnets. 

“You tired?” Sokka asked once they had left the room.

“Not really.” 

“Wanna go on a walk or something?”

“Yes.” 

Sokka pulled Zuko in with an arm around his shoulders. “I like being rich, y’know.”

Zuko rolled his eyes.  _ “You’re  _ not rich. I am.”

“Oh, I’m just the Fire Lord’s consort, I see.”

Zuko gave a pained smile. “I… I wish you could be more than that. You deserve more than that.”

“I was just joking, Zuko, it’s fine. Really.” Sokka gave him a winning smile, staring at him for a moment before pushing him very hard and taking down the hallway. Zuko stumbled, hitting the ground and shaking himself, chasing after Sokka. Sokka was laughing, loudly, alarming the servants passing by, who threw up their towels and pressed themselves to the walls. Zuko laughed as he leapt at Sokka, who tried to catch him and failed, being knocked over himself and landing on the ground in a heap.

“Are you… sure you don’t want to marry me?” Zuko asked.

“Want to? … I would love to… it’s just a political thing stopping us, right?” 

Zuko smiled. “I’m the Fire Lord… No one says no to me.”

Sokka hugged him tightly. “In that case… guess I’d better say yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if the writing style changed it's because I am in sherlock holmes land rn oops
> 
> hope y'all enjoyed! this will probably be the last chapter but you never know, there might be one more. Thanks for reading!


End file.
